http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2658638/Argentina-2-1-Bosnia-Herzegovina-Lionel-Messi-makes-mark-seal-victory.html
It was only 65 minutes in, but it had seemed an age. Nothing was going right. Free-kicks flew wastefully into orbit; darting runs were extinguished almost at inception; passes were snuffled up by the blue meanies of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Maracana stadium, an Argentinian enclave in Rio de Janeiro for the night, yearned for their little master to assume his rightful place as the true star of this World Cup, but it was not his night.
Lionel Messi had only scored one World Cup goal in his career, the same as Matthew Upson, and that was eight years ago. In match time, 623 minutes had expired since he last struck for Argentina on this stage.
In with a shout: Lionel Messi roars with delight after scoring Argentina’s second goal
Precise: Messi slides the ball in off the post to give Argentina a 2-0 lead
Turning it on: Messi hits his shot from the edge of the area after leaving two Bosnia defenders (left) in a heap
And then it happened. Oh, it was lovely. Not just the move but the possibilities offered for this tournament. Messi with a monkey on his back is no Messi at all. Messi, liberated from pressure by a goal in his opening game, may now elevate this World Cup to a higher plane.
It was a beautiful passing advance, triangles working their way through the deep Bosnian midfield, before the ball found Messi, as it so often does for that is his genius, and he played an neat one-two with substitute Gonzalo Higuain.
Receiving the ball once more he ran from right to left with such nimble feet that two Bosnian guards, Ermin Bicakcic and Muhamed Besic, collided in his wake.
Now with clear sight of goal, he checked the position of goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and finished perfectly, the ball coming off the inside of a post, so exceptionally was it judged.
And that is what the greats do. Until then, it wasn’t his game. And then he made it so. Until then, Bosnia looked more than capable of earning a point – an 85th minute goal by Vedad Ibisevic confirmed the threat – and then it was out of their reach. Messi had made it his night after all.
From here, the tournament begins – particularly if Cristiano Ronaldo decides to match him for Portugal on Monday, as he so often does when similarly challenged in Spain.
Messi was announced as man of the match at the end, a FIFA award he will recognise as nonsense. If anything, the best players were the half-time substitutes Fernando Gago and Higuain, whose introduction changed Argentina’s formation and the course of the game.
Until then, the team considered by many to be the finest at the tournament had laboured with three at the back. Despite going a goal behind after three minutes, Bosnia were having the best of the game.
Perfect 10: Messi points to the sky in trademark celebration after his fine strike
That’s more like it: Messi’s shot goes towards the post before hitting it and going into the net
Lionel Messi scored his first goal of this World Cup and a fine one it was, too – click here for more from our Match Zone
History boy: Vedad Ibisevic scores Bosnia’s first ever goal at a major tournament
Horrendous start: Bosnia defender Sead Kolasin (No 5) is rooted to the spot after scoring an own goal
Rabona in his own box! Argentina defender Marcos Rojo elaborately clears the ball under pressure
Alejandro Sabella, Argentina’s manager, confessed his mistake by removing the anonymous Maxi Rodriguez and a defender, Hugo Campagnaro at half-time and switching to a back four. Gago, an impressive midfielder with Boca Juniors and one of the few members of this squad to have played outside Europe, freed up Messi and Angel Di Maria and Argentina thrived.
What has been all too clear so far is that commercial profiles place the biggest players under almost intolerable pressure at modern World Cups. It was the humble Gago’s involvement that helped Messi rise above this. We should all be very grateful.
If there was a fault in Messi’s game early on – and this is not a sentiment that will be aired regularly – it was that he almost tried to play the occasion rather than the match.
This was Messi in the Maracana – the world’s most famous footballer in the world’s most famous football stadium. It was an event that demanded brilliance, splendour, excitement to bursting point, and that was what Messi attempted desperately to deliver.
Unfortunately, it is not just well-meaning amateurs and Wayne Rooney that can lose their way by trying too hard, and Messi fell victim to a very human flaw. He wanted it too much – the stage, the moment, the roar that would greet one of those scuttling, scintillating runs, when the ball appears to be tied to his foot by a strand of elastic and defenders circle like so many crazed ants whose nest has been disturbed by the sole of a sandal.
Hacked down: Edin Dzeko (centre) is fouled from behind by Federico Fernandez
Flying out: Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero punches the ball away from Izet Hajrovic
Messi reached for fabulousness time and again, but without luck or joy. Bosnia-Herzegovina have been well drilled by coach Safet Susic and whenever Messi got possession he was immediately detailed by two, sometimes three, blue shirts, obstructing his path, snapping at his heels, as eager to destroy as he was to create.
Not that Bosnia played a negative game, far from it. They were just not so daft that Messi was allowed to dominate the way his sponsors would have wished – the way his life is portrayed in commercial breaks when impossible is nothing and wizardry is real.
What was real in the Maracana was an opposition that had not fought its way to Brazil to be anybody’s support act on their debut. Bosnia-Herzegovina are the fifth of the former Yugoslav states to make it to a World Cup – if one includes Montenegro as part of Serbia in 1998 and 2006 – and the pride of the team and its fans was obvious.
They suffered the most horrid start, but recovered, and those who feared they might be embarrassed here were quickly dissuaded of such negativity. A lesser team could have gone under after the bad luck that befell them three minutes in, but they regrouped and came at Argentina with impressive ambition.
Doubling up: Messi tries to escape the attentions of Senad Lulic (right) and Kolasinac
Trebling up! Messi (second left) has Muhamed Besic (left), Emir Spahic (centre) and Kolasinac for company
Pushing him out: Messi takes the ball as Kolasinac tries to get close to him
Blocked off: Messi (centre) is stopped by the intervention of Senad Lulic (right)
First the bad news. Argentina won a free-kick 40 yards out to the left of goal, which Messi whipped in dangerously. Giant full back Marcos Rojo rose and headed it on, striking Sead Kolasinac on the boot for an unknowing diversion past goalkeeper Begovic.
It could easily have been a prelude to a humbling World Cup debut, but Bosnia are made of stronger stuff. From there, Sergio Romero in Argentina’s goal, received a thorough workout.
Miralem Pjanic of Roma was pulling the strings in the centre of midfield and it was his ball in the 14th minute that showed Bosnia were in no mood to accept defeat.
It dropped over Argentina’s high line defence and was gobbled up by midfielder Izet Hajrovic. Fortunately for Argentina, Romero was alive to the threat and he dashed from his line to save.
Human shield: Edin Dzeko keeps the ball from Argentina defender Hugo Campagnaro
Stretching a point: Bosnia midfielder Izet Hajrovic attempts to control the ball
Getting stuck in: Maxi Rodriguez (left) thunders into a challenge with Bosnia’s Muhamed Besic
Pjanic’s set-pieces were proving as dangerous as his passes, and four minutes before half-time he picked out Senad Lulic with a fine inswinging corner, the resulting header forcing another excellent save from Romero.
Ibisevic’s late goal was no more than they deserved, even though Romero was weak for it. Perhaps it was for the best. Bosnia can build from here, and look potential qualifiers, Messi is free to take his sun-blessed talents deeper into the tournament.
He may return here on July 13. Who knows what marvels we might have witnessed by then?
Net gains: The Argentina players celebrate after the early own goal by Kolasinac (second left)
Full of cheer: Argentina fans get into the spirit before kick-off at the Maracana
Pleased to be here: Bosnia fans pose for the camera before the match against Argentina
